That’s when Caleb Sturgis kicked a 30-yard field goal for what proved to be the final margin.
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Bradford also took a frightful sack in the Eagles’ final drive of the game with just over two minutes left.
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford got to kill the clock with kneel downs.
The Eagles’ 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills was forged by a determined defense that kept Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy bottled up in their own end throughout the fourth quarter. Taylor has modest numbers, throwing for 2,171 yards with 17 touchdowns while rushing for 318 yards and three scores, but he has thrown just four interceptions and has been a strong game manager for Buffalo.
The ground game, the quarterback play and the pure emotion of players in the moment will decide what happens when the Eagles (5-7) try to maintain their grip on a share of first place in the NFC East.
LeSean McCoy had an OK afternoon, but the Eagles were able to spoil his homecoming. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter he couldn’t manufacture anything, against a heavy Eagles pass rush. The shirts, the players assumed, came from owner Jeffrey Lurie. Murray had 11 carries for 34 yards. He has been better than Murray this season in any case, and after Murray both complained about his touches and started to lose time on the field, the Eagles may have finally moved on from him, at least for this season. Leodis McKelvin leaped and snatched the ball away from Brent Celek at the 5. Zach Ertz had a big catch and run for 41 yards to ultimately set the team up for a game-winning field goal.
“How he was traded wasn’t handled right”, Kelly said. He bent down and kissed the Eagles’ logo at midfield.
Fans gave McCoy a mixed reaction before the game, with some cheers and a few boos.
When the Eagles got the ball late in the second quarter, they really wanted to put points on the board. And there was definitely some jawing going on.
“This was a tough game for him”, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. Were it not for Cox forcing Incognito to hold him, McCoy would have had a 100-yard day and the Bills may have won the game.
But the Eagles didn’t get caught up in that. Mathews got the start at running back after missing the previous three games at running back. The Eagles have also forced 15 fumbles, recovering nine of them.
Ed Reynolds sealed it, picking off Taylor with 1:04 to end the game and the Bills’ playoff chances.
National Football League action resumes on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Buffalo Bills in their Week 14 matchup.
When Jason Peters limped off the field, Dennis Kelly replaced him at left tackle. Then Bradford threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor.
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A first career touchdown followed by a passionate end-zone celebration was exactly what the rookie needed after a troubled season so far. The Bills came back and answered with a 40-yard Dan Carpenter field goal midway through the third. The Eagles went three-and-out, and on the ensuing punt, they were called for unnecessary roughness for a late hit out of bounds. The Bills are slightly above average inside the red zone, scoring touchdowns 57.7 percent of the time when they get inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
